Miner&#39;s tool.



PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

R. W. MINERD. MINERS TOOL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904 ROBERT W.MINERD, OF PITTSBURG, KANSAS.

MINERS TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 1, 1906.

Application filed November 1,1904. Serial No. 230,984-

lb all w/wm it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ROBERT 1V. MINERD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Miners Tools, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to miners tools, and more especially to one forremoving the cuttings from holes drilled for blasting purposes incoal-mines or any other mines or for cleanout purposes in steam-boilerflues.

My object is to produce a miners tool of this character which isefficient and reliable in operation, light and easily handled, and ofsimple, strong, durable, and cheap construction.

\Vith this object in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understoodreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,inwhich Figure 1 isa top view of a miners tool embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is across-section on the line H II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a crosssection onthe line 111 III of Fig. 1, but with the contiguous spoons occupyingtheir operative positions as in dotted lines, Fig. 1. Fig. i is a sideelevation of a portion of the tool. Fig. 5 is a section on the line V Vof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line VI VI of Fig. 7, and Fig. 7is a side elevation of a modified form of the tool.

In the said drawings the handle 1 is comosed of two similarsemicylindrical portions fitted together, as shown, the front ends ofsaid sections being tapered forward, as at 2, so that the front end ofthe handle shall be pointed as viewed from the top. One section of thehandle is provided with smooth holes 3 to receive the bolts 4 and theother section with screwholes 5 to be engaged by the threaded ends ofsaid bolts 4, which are thus utilized to unite the handle-sectionsrigidly together.

At preferably two points one near the front end of the tool and theother a short distance rearward of the same-the meeting edges of thesections are provided with registering holes 6 for a purpose whichhereinafter appears.

The spoons each consist of two sections 7, semicircular in form asviewed from their front or rear side and of substantially obtuse angleform as viewed from the upper or lower edge. The sections are ofmaterially greater diameter than the handle, and one of them at itsstraight or diametric margin is formed with a substantially circularcross and pivot rod 8 and the other at the corresponding edge with asemicylindrical cross-rod 9, which fits pivotally upon rod 8, so thatthe two sections of the spoon are, in effect, hinged to gether, being,furthermore, hinged to the handle by having said cross-rods S and 9journaled in opposite openings 6 and bridging the handle, as shownclearly. By this arrangement it will be seen that the spoon-sections mayoccupy the relation shown in the full or dotted lines, Fig. 1, theformer position being that which they assume when the tool is shovedinto the drill-hole and the latter the position which they assume as thetool is drawn back, the accumulation of cuttings in the hole acting as awedge between the handle and the spoon-sections to force the latter totheir open position, and to arrest and hold them rigidly in thelast-named position without danger of breakage they are provided withribs 10 at theirfront sides, which by endwise pressure against thehandle prevent the spoon-sections from swinging forward to the positionlast referred to.

The advantage of bending the sections to substantially obtuse-angleform, as shown in Fig. 1, is threefold first, it permits the outer orlarger portion of the section to assume a position almost parallel withthe handle, and thus enable the tool to be more easily slip ed into thedrill-hole, and, secondly, it ma es the spoon-sections stiffer andstronger than they would be if not of such angular formation.Furthermore, it permits the inner curved edges 11 of the sections to bestruck from an axis corresponding substantially to the axis of thehandle, and thus provides for a snug fit of such edges upon the handlewhen in operative or inopertaive position and leaves such a small spacebetween said portions while swinging from the position shown in full tothe position shown in dotted lines as to prevent the cuttings workingbetween the edge of the spoons and the handle and interfering with theopening movement of the spoon-sections.

In practice the tool, with the spoons closed or in their foldedposition, is shoved into the drill-hole the required distance or untilthe point of the handle strikes the base of the hole. The tool is thenwithdrawn, this ac tion, as hereinbefore explained, causing the spoonsto open and to force the accumulation of cuttings out ahead of them. InFigs. 6 and 7 the tool is shown as comprising a rod 12, preferablysolid, as shown, and having its front end tapered to a point, as at 13,and provided rearward of said point with a cross-rod 14:. The spoons inthis modified form consist of two semicircular sections 15, equipped attheir straight margins with loops 16, pivotally engaging the rod 14, andout of each section is stamped a tongue 17 to project forward of thespoon and when the latter is open impinge against the rod, so as tolimit the opening movement of the spoon-sections in the directionindicated by the arrow, Fig. 7. When the tool is inoperative, saidsections are swung in the opposite direction to that indicated by saidarrows, as will be readily understood. It will be apparent that thismodified construction possesses all of the advantages of theconstruction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and an additionaladvantage in that it can be made and sold at a materially lower cost.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced aminers tool which possesses the features of advantage l i l enumeratedas desirable and which can \obviously be modified in various otherparticulars without departing from the essential spirit and scope orsacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A miners tool, comprising a handle, composed of two sections securedtogether and provided with registering grooves forming diametricopenings, and one or more spoons, each spoon consisting of two sectionssubstantially semicircular inform, one of said spoon-sections having across-rod at its straight edge and the other a semicircular cross-rod atits corresponding edge and pivoted to the cross-rod of the first-namedspoonsection, said cross-rods extending pivotally through the diametricopenings of the handle.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES WATSON, A. M. MINERD.

